Eurogamer writes: Old fashioned shoot-'em-ups are a lot like jazz. Once a driving force of pop culture, both are now savoured only by a dwindling number of dedicated purists who grumble at how the bovine mainstream masses are incapable of appreciating the off-kilter appeal of their chosen obsession. In years gone by games like Xevious and R-Type were legitimate blockbusters, accessible to anyone who had a pocketful of change. Today's vertical and horizontal shooters are obscure, chasing the remaining faithful, wallowing in their hardcore status and pulling scary faces at any normal folk who happen to glance in their direction.
Which brings us to Triggerheart Exelica, which pulls a very scary face indeed. Released into Japanese arcades in 2006, it holds the honour of being one of those games still being ported to the Dreamcast - and the Dreamcast alone - many years after SEGA's white brick of loveliness was supposed to have rolled over and died. Much like Rez, that other Dreamcast shooter that tore its way back into our timeline via Xbox Live Arcade, Triggerheart is a game of short length but deceptive depth.
Arcade shooter Triggerheart Exelica is getting a PS2 port, called Triggerheart Exelica -Enhanced-. There's a limited edition version for the PS2.
Packaged with an Exelica figure from figure maker Good Smile Company, the limited edition version includes a balloon for those who pre-ordered. The game includes new elements like an opening movie and new CG cutscenes.
Triggerheart Exelica was released in Japanese arcades in 2006 on SEGA's Naomi arcade hardware and ported to the Dreamcast the following year. The PlayStation 2 version is on sale today.
WARASHI Inc's upgraded vertical scrolling shooter Triggerheart Exelica is a unique spin on a classic shooter, players can capture enemies with anchors and fling them away.
Kikizo writes: "Two years ago, Triggerheart Exelica landed in Japanese arcades running on Sega's NAOMI hardware. A year later a posthumous release graced the Japanese Dreamcast console, though in very short supply. And now, another year later, the Xbox Live Arcade has become home to this highly addictive shooter. Developed by Warashi, the people behind traditional arcade shooters like Shienryu and Sengeki Striker, Triggerheart Exelica is a vertically scrolling 2D shooter in the same vein. And while traditional arcade shooters all share the same basic formula, Triggerheart Exelica introduces some cool new mechanics to help it stand out from the rest."
